There is a substantial market for light-weight, inexpensive yet attractively styled enclosures for bath tubs or showers which can be shipped in a compact knocked-down condition. One applicaton for such products is as original equipment installations for manufactured housing. Another application is for the individual homeowner who wishes to himself add such a bathing enclosure to his own home. For the latter application, the unit must lend itself to assembly with minimal skills and tools, and the unassembled purchased parts must be able to fit through the often narrow doorways of bathrooms.
The kits presently on the market have not been entirely satisfactory. They are often large and bulky, and often require screws or nuts and bolts to assembly the various panels. Such methods of fastening often produce problems, including leakage through the fastener-receiving holes, corrosion of the fasteners, and difficulty in properly cleaning the enclosure because of the dirt-catching crevices at the joints or around the fasteners. Furthermore, the fasteners are often objectionable and unsightly in such an enclosure.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of this invention to provide an improved knocked-down kit for a shower or bath tub enclosure wherein no fasteners are visible on the interior of the enclosure, no tools are required for assembly, and assembly can be quickly completed by an inexperienced and unskilled person.